630.7 
lo9c 
no. 19 
cop.  6 


UNIVERSITY  OF 
ILLINOIS  LIBRARY 
AT  URBANA’CHAMPAIGN 
AGRICULTURE 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2017  with  funding  from 

University  of  Illinois  Urbana-Champaign  Alternates 


https://archive.org/details/controlofchicken1919sher 


Circular  No.  19. 

AGRICULTURAL  EXPERIMENT  STATION 
IOWA  STATE  COLLEGE  OF  AGRICULTURE 
AND  THE  MECHANIC  ARTS. 

THE  CONTROL  OF  CHICKEN  MITES  AND  LICE 


OMIVLRSITY 


0F  ILLINOIS 


^'CUims  LIBftAfty 


July,  1914. 


By  R.  M.  SHERWOOD,  Assistant  Professor  of  Poultry  Husbandry. 

The  two  very  common  parasites,  the  chicken  mite  and  the  chicken  louse,  are 
responsible  for  a very  large  part  of  the  loss  suffered  annually  by  poultry  raisers, 
yet  they  may  be  dealt  with  effectively. 

The  symptoms  for  these  two  pests  are  much  alike.  In  severe  cases  they  are 
as  follows:  The  head  and  comb  become  pale,  the  bird  looks  sickly,  its  feathers 
become  ruffled  and  may  drop  out,  it  becomes  dumpish  and  thin,  and,  if  it  is  a 
female,  it  may  stop  laying.  Sitting  hens  may  leave  the  nest;  sometimes  they 
die  from  the  effects  of  these  parasites.  Generally,  the  fowls  may  be  seen  pick- 
ing at  their  feathers  as  if  to  remove  the  insects. 

To  make  sure  of  the  presence  of  either  lice  or  mites,  catch  the  birds  and 
examine  them.  The  lice  may  be  found  on  them  either  day  or  night;  the  mites 
usually  attack  the  chickens  at  night  only  and  during  the  day  stay  in  cracks  in 
the  poultry  house  as  well  as  in  the  droppings. 

The  following  descriptions  will  help  the  poultry  raiser  to  determine  which 
of  the  pests  is  attacking  his  chickens: 

THE  CHICKEN  MITE — DESCRIPTION  AND  HABITS. 

The  chicken  mite  ( Dermanyssus  gallinae),  or  “red  mite,”  as  it  is  sometimes 
called,  is  a small  parasite  about  1-25  to  1-20  of  an  inch  in  length.  It  is  broader 
in  proportion  to  its  length  than  the  chicken  louse.  The  mite  is  naturally  gray 
in  color  with  dark  spots,  but  after  it  has  visited  the  fowl  and  has  gorged  itself 
with  blood  it  takes  on  a reddish  appearance.  This  explains  why  many  people 
speak  of  the  “red”  and  the  “gray”  mite.  This  insect  has  sharp  mouth  parts 
which  it  inserts  into  the  flesh  of  the  fowl  at  night  to  feed  on  the  blood,  return- 
ing for  the  day  to  cracks  in  the  perches  and  building,  also  to  any  filth  in  the 
house.  There  are  at  least  two  exceptions  to  this  habit,  namely:  in  the  case  of 
sitting  hens  and  also  in  the  entire  flock  when  the  infestation  is  very  bad.  Then 
the  mites  may  stay  on  the  fowl  the  entire  24  hours.  Mites  lay  their  eggs  in 
cracks  about  the  perches  and  wall,  also  in  the  droppings.  The  young  hatch  out 
in  a few  days  and  grow  rapidly  for  ten  days  when  they  are  mature. 

Treatment : Since  mites  leave  the  fowls  by  day  and  breed  in  cracks  and 
filth,  the  methods  of  getting  rid  of  them  are  simple.  Clean  up  all  filth  and 
thoroughly  disinfect  the  building  and  fixtures  with  one  of  the  disinfectants 
described  later.  Repeat  the  treatment  as  often  as  necessary.  Where  the 
droppings  are  removed  often  and  the  house  kept  clean,  there  is  much  less 
trouble  from  mites.  Sunlight,  cleanliness  and  ventilation  are  three  excellent 
preventatives. 

THE  CHICKEN  BOUSE — DESCRIPTION  AND  HABITS. 

The  chicken  louse  ( Menopon  pallidum)  is  pale  yellow  to  gray  in  color,  about 
one-twentieth  inch  in  length,  and  rather  slender.  It  spends  most  of  its  time 
on  the  fowl,  although  occasionally  found  in  the  nest.  The  eggs  or  nits  are 
found  on  the  down  feathers  of  the  fowl,  especially  around  the  vent.  They  hatch 
in  six  to  ten  days  into  small  pale  colored  lice.  These  are  very  active  and  at 


once  irritate  the  fowls.  They  feed  on  scabs  and  secretions  from  the  skin,  also 
parts  of  feathers.  They  do  not  have  piercing  mouth  parts  and  therefore  do  not 
suck  blood.  The  young  lice  mature  quickly.  They  undergo  10  or  12  moults 
before  reaching  the  adult  or  full  grown  state.  Lice  breed  very  rapidly.  In 
eight  weeks  the  third  generation  is  mature  and  if  all  lived  the  offspring  of  a 
single  pair  of  lice  up  to  and  including  the  third  generation  would  number  as 
high  as  125,000  individuals.  Therefore  where  poor  management  is  practised, 
lice  give  enough  trouble  to  cause  unthriftness  and  even  death  in  the  flock. 

Treatment:  As  lice  spend  their  entire  life  on  the  fowl,  the  treatment  must 
reach  them  on  the  fowl,  as  well  as  disinfect  the  house.  Two  methods  are 
common:  Dusting  fowls  and  using  paste  or  ointment.  Some  dip  their  chickens, 
but  this  is  not  good  for  the  fowls,  and  it  requires  much  attention  afterwards 
to  prevent  colds  and  other  troubles  of  the  respiratory  tract.  For  that  reason 
that  method  is  not  recommended.  Dusting  has  long  been  used  by  most  poultry 
raisers.  The  fowls  are  allowed  to  dust  themselves  in  any  wallow  they  may 
select  and  in  addition  to  this  the  sitting  hens  and  any  other  which  may  need 
any  special  treatment  are  given  a thorough  dusting  of  some  good  louse  powder. 

A number  of  good  powders  are  on  the  market,  including  pyrethrum,  but  most 
of  them  are  too  expensive  for  large  numbers  of  fowls.  The  home  made  powder 
given  in  this  circular  is  very  satisfactory  and  not  expensive.  Fowls  should  be 
given  a second  dusting  about  a week  after  the  first  to  kill  any  lice  which  hatch 
from  eggs  laid  before  the  first  treatment  was  given. 

The  third  method,  namely  the  use  of  salves,  or  ointments,  is  becoming  more 
popular.  Such  ointments  as  those  made  of  equal  parts  of  lard  and  cottonseed 
oil  have  been  used  on  young  chicks;  mercuric  ointment  is  used  for  mature  fowls. 

LICE  AND  MITE  EXTERMINATORS. 

Liquids. 

Cresol  Soap.  Dissolve  a ten  cent  cake  of  laundry  soap  in  one  pint  soft 
water;  heat  or  allow  to  stand  until  soap  paste  is  formed.  Add  one  pint  cresol; 
beat  or  allow  to  stand  until  soap  paste  is  dissolved.  Stir  in  one  gallon  of  kero- 
sene. Dilute  with  ten  to  fifty  parts  of  water  and  apply  with  spray  pump  or 
broom. 

Gresol-Eerosene  Paint.  To  three  parts  of  kerosene  add  one  part  of  cresol. 
Apply  with  brush  as  a paint. 

White  wash.  Slack  one  peck  of  lime  and  dilute  to  40  gallons.  Add  two 
pounds  of  salt  and  one  gallon  of  a good  stock  dip.  Apply  with  a spray  pump. 

Government  White  Wash.  % bushel  unslaked  lime — slake  with  warm 
water  and  cover  during  the  process  to  keep  in  the  steam.  Strain  the  liquid 
through  a fine  sieve  or  strainer;  add  a peck  of  salt,  previously  dissolved  in 
warm  water,  3 pounds  of  ground  rice  boiled  to  a thin  paste  and  stir  in  boiling 
hot  1.2  pounds  of  powdered  Spanish  Whiting  and  1 pound  of  glue  which  has 
been  previously  dissolved  over  a slow  fire.  Add  5 gallons  of  hot  water  to 
the  mixture,  stir  well  and  let  it  stand  for  a few  days  covered  from  the  dirt. 
Apply  with  a brush  while  hot.  One  pint  will  cover  a square  yard. 

Louse  Powders. 

I.  3 parts  gasoline,  1 part  cresol. 

Mix  together  and  add  as  much  plaster  of  paris  or  land  plaster  as  the  above 
mixture  will  moisten.  Allow  to  dry  and  apply  liberally  to  fowls.  This  is 
rather  strong  for  young  chicks. 

II.  Pyrethrum  powder  may  be  purchased  at  drug  stores  and  used  to  dust 
small  flocks.  It  is  somewhat  expensive  and  loses  its  strength  readily  on  being 
kept  in  the  open  for  a short  time. 

Louse  Ointment. 

I.  1 part  vaseline,  1 part  mercuric  ointment. 

A piece  about  the  size  of  a pea  rubbed  into  the  skin  around  the  vent  for 
body  lice. 

II.  1 part  lard,  1 part  sweet  oil  or  cottonseed  oil. 

Applied  sparingly  to  feathers  of  neck  and  under  the  wings  for  lice  on  chicks. 


' 


UNIVERSITY  OF 
630.7I09C 
CIRCULARS 
191914 


ILLINOIS  URBANA 

C006 


3 0112  019566097 


